Speaker Johnson: GOP hecklers responding to ‘overly partisan’ State of the Union

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said Republican lawmakers who heckled President Biden during Thursday night’s State of the Union address were responding to an “overly partisan speech.”

Several Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), yelled at Biden during remarks on the House floor, but the shouting was heard by Biden and the president about Laken Riley, R-Ga. This led to an unusual exchange between them. Police say the student was killed by a man who crossed the border illegally.

Asked about the exchange, Johnson said the “overly partisan” nature of Biden’s remarks made those listening to the speech “very emotional.”

“People got very emotional tonight because it was such a partisan speech and it was full of information that was objectively untrue. So the visceral reaction from the people in the chamber. I think many people across the country felt the same frustration,” Johnson told reporters.

The exchange between Mr. Biden and Mr. Greene erupted as the president discussed the border, at one point with the Georgia Republican yelling, “It’s Laken Riley,” and another Republican yelling, “Say her name.” There was also a scene where he shouted. Biden responded by holding up the Laken Riley pin he received from Greene.

“Laken Riley was an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal alien,” Biden said. “My heart goes out to her parents, and to you myself, on the loss of her child. I understand.”

Ahead of Thursday’s speech, the speaker urged conference participants to maintain civility during the president’s remarks, following a large amount of heckling from Republican lawmakers during last year’s State of the Union address. It was a request.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday he felt his plea had been “mostly” honored.

“We valued civility, and I think that was primarily respected tonight. It was good for the country,” he said.

Biden’s speech, which lasted more than an hour, was largely political, drawing contrasts between him and former President Trump on a range of policy issues, including foreign policy and border security.

Republicans from all walks of life criticized the political nature of Biden’s speech.

“I thought this was a partisan stump speech rather than a dignified State of the Union address,” moderate Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) told The Hill, adding, “I thought this was a partisan stump speech, not a dignified State of the Union address. He called it the worst State of the Union speech ever.

“Because it was partisan,” he added. “It was like a campaign speech you would expect two weeks before an election. There was no sense of unity at all.”

Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, called Biden’s comments “an angry older gentleman with a bad memory yelling at people to get off his lawn.” expressed.

“The tone was really bad throughout the whole speech. It was certainly divisive,” he continued. “When he first ran for office, he claimed he was going to be the leader of the division. He has never been that way at all, but he will definitely continue to be the leader of the division.”